Reduce Passenger Wait Times for International Arrivals

 

We urge Congress to reduce passenger processing wait times at international airports through staffing adjustments and technology deployment.

 

• Support additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staffing and ensure the deployment of those staffing resources to international airports.

 

• Expand the utilization of existing and enhanced Automated Passport Control (APC) equipment and other technologies.

 

• Promote and expand ongoing airport initiatives, such as Mobile Passport Control (MPC), aimed at facilitating more expeditious passenger processing.

 

• Pursue process changes that could better utilize CBP non-law-enforcement resources.

 

• Continue dialog with airport community to ensure focus remains on reducing passenger processing times.

 

All too often passengers arriving on international flights experience exceptionally long delays when being processed by CBP.  Long wait times are discouraging international passengers from traveling to the United States and are having a significant negative impact on our economy and employment.  To correct this situation, airports continue to urge Congress to provide CBP with the resources it needs to hire additional officers and fund technological solutions, like APC and MCP, to reduce peak wait times by 50 percent and process passengers within 30 minutes.  Airports also encourage the federal government to continue to support trusted traveler initiatives, such as Global Entry.